Q. Why can’t canned beets be used to reduce cholesterol? I had a significant reduction after only two weeks on the fresh beets but they are expensive and time consuming to prepare.
A. Until we received your question we had no idea that beets might lower cholesterol. Research has shown that 2 cups of beet juice daily can help lower blood pressure significantly, by as much as 10 points (Hypertension, March 2008).
When we checked the medical literature, however, we found some animal research suggesting that beets may indeed lower cholesterol and triglycerides. We don’t see why canned beets wouldn’t work as well as fresh.